That was a really disappointing way for the show to start. I'm no fan of superhero stories (except the more grounded versions of Batman), but I felt The Avengers was watchable enough that I even got it on Blu-ray. This pilot seemed like it tried too hard to remind us that it's made by Joss Whedon, turning into a parody of itself in the process. Why is the most elite group of special agents, the ones who get to deal with the fallout of the most important event in human history, a bunch of 25 year old models with snippy comments and arrogant demeanors? Even worse, why was none of it funny? By the time it was halfway through I was already itching for it to end.

This lacked believability (not realism. Believability) and personality, and instead felt like a menagerie of plastic looks and wooden acting. Even agent Coulson became boring.

I suspect I'm out unless we get a Dollhouse-like turnaround in quality. There are much better shows out there for me to spend my time on.

That was a really disappointing way for the show to start. I'm no fan of superhero stories (except the more grounded versions of Batman), but I felt The Avengers was watchable enough that I even got it on Blu-ray. This pilot seemed like it tried too hard to remind us that it's made by Joss Whedon, turning into a parody of itself in the process. Why is the most elite group of special agents, the ones who get to deal with the fallout of the most important event in human history, a bunch of 25 year old models with snippy comments and arrogant demeanors? Even worse, why was none of it funny? By the time it was halfway through I was already itching for it to end.

This lacked believability (not realism. Believability) and personality, and instead felt like a menagerie of plastic looks and wooden acting. Even agent Coulson became boring.

I suspect I'm out unless we get a Dollhouse-like turnaround in quality. There are much better shows out there for me to spend my time on.

Obviously to each his own, but I thought I'd offer a counterpoint anyway. First off, every one of Joss Whedon's shows have started off slow or relatively a bit awkward. But every one of them have also picked up enormously if/when given a chance over time, so unless ratings are horrible, I wouldn't worry about the show getting better and better. Firefly's best episodes were arguably the last few (which never aired). Dollhouse by the end was absolutely excellent. Even Buffy and Angel needed breathing room and time to hit their stride.

Of all Joss's premiere episodes, I thought this SHIELD one was probably the best. While I wasn't as wowed as I had hoped to be, I still really enjoyed it. There's a lot going on - introduction of a bunch of new characters, establishing the season's story arc/villain, tie-in to the movies and comics - maybe too much to handle in a single hour. The fact that the writers pandered a bit to Joss Whedon fans? Well, personally I appreciated it, and I'm not sure why that would be a negative.

As for the cast? I'm not sure what you were expecting, but this is a TV show based on a comic book. You were hoping for a bunch of ugly, crotchedy old farts to enhance "believability"? Me? I like my pretty people, so I'm pretty darn happy with the cast. And by the way, you may be interested to note that Clark Gregg (Coulson) is 51 and Ming Na (Melinda) is 49. Brett Dalton (the main hunk) looks around 30+ to me, and as the primary physical guy, I'd expect him to be fairly young and fit. The hacker chick is young (age 22) and hot (heaven forbid), but that's nothing new in the TV or comic world, and certainly not in the Joss-verse where all the hackers are usually chicks still in high school. So that leaves the two scientists, which I guess were the ones that must have bothered you the most. They are both 26, which I suppose is young - but considering they are supposed to be genius level (I assume), I'd expect them to be relatively younger. Heck I'd say many people are at their prime mentally around that age. If you're doing the math, that's an average age of about 34 for the whole team.

Anyway, it's probably your opening statement that says it all - "I'm no fan of superhero stories." In case it wasn't clear, that's exactly what this show is (superhero stories told from a different perspective, or alternatively, hero stories that run parallel to the superhero stories in the movies), so again, I really don't understand what you were hoping for.

Anyway, it's probably your opening statement that says it all - "I'm no fan of superhero stories." In case it wasn't clear, that's exactly what this show is (superhero stories told from a different perspective, or alternatively, hero stories that run parallel to the superhero stories in the movies), so again, I really don't understand what you were hoping for.

I was hoping for something that would be entertaining despite its genre. The Avengers was, so I'm not sure why Agents of SHIELD shouldn't be, but it wasn't.

Anyway, it's probably your opening statement that says it all - "I'm no fan of superhero stories." In case it wasn't clear, that's exactly what this show is (superhero stories told from a different perspective, or alternatively, hero stories that run parallel to the superhero stories in the movies), so again, I really don't understand what you were hoping for.

I was hoping for something that would be entertaining despite its genre. The Avengers was, so I'm not sure why Agents of SHIELD shouldn't be, but it wasn't.

You're missing at least one "for me" in there.

As was already said, I'm not sure what you were expecting, but I got exactly what I was.

Anyway, it's probably your opening statement that says it all - "I'm no fan of superhero stories." In case it wasn't clear, that's exactly what this show is (superhero stories told from a different perspective, or alternatively, hero stories that run parallel to the superhero stories in the movies), so again, I really don't understand what you were hoping for.

I was hoping for something that would be entertaining despite its genre. The Avengers was, so I'm not sure why Agents of SHIELD shouldn't be, but it wasn't.

You're missing at least one "for me" in there.

No I'm not. Since I can't decide what is fact and not, anything I say about the quality of anything ever in the history of all things, is considered my opinion and thus contains an implied "for me". You know this, which is why you can even say that it was missing.

Anyway, it's probably your opening statement that says it all - "I'm no fan of superhero stories." In case it wasn't clear, that's exactly what this show is (superhero stories told from a different perspective, or alternatively, hero stories that run parallel to the superhero stories in the movies), so again, I really don't understand what you were hoping for.

I was hoping for something that would be entertaining despite its genre. The Avengers was, so I'm not sure why Agents of SHIELD shouldn't be, but it wasn't.

You're missing at least one "for me" in there.

No I'm not. Since I can't decide what is fact and not, anything I say about the quality of anything ever in the history of all things, is considered my opinion and thus contains an implied "for me". You know this, which is why you can even say that it was missing.

It was a nice first episode, but definitely felt like it needed a few more episodes to really get going. Everyone barely had time to setup their character premises before launched into a crisis, and it seemed like too little tension between characters came out during that crisis.

I think it's that way because they know they have an audience already, and they have time to build up to it.

I liked the first episode,,i think some points that TiLT brought up are valid enough

It tried to be funny,but was far from it(The British girl Simmons saying she is not Hermione was very cringe worthy...'they're British,stick a Harry Potter reference in there' )

and yeah,stick an ugly bastard in there FFS

Again though,i enjoyed it so will be sticking with it

So Coulson believes he has been in Tahiti is this all leading to ..

Spoiler for Hiden:

those clones things?...i think thats what everyone decided when Coulson was killed in The Avengers,that it was one of those robot clone things(can't remember what they are called),so i am guessing it leads to that and even Agent Coulson,or everyone of these clone things don't know what they are

I liked the first episode,,i think some points that TiLT brought up are valid enough

It tried to be funny,but was far from it(The British girl Simmons saying she is not Hermione was very cringe worthy...'they're British,stick a Harry Potter reference in there' )

and yeah,stick an ugly bastard in there FFS

Again though,i enjoyed it so will be sticking with it

So Coulson believes he has been in Tahiti is this all leading to ..

Spoiler for Hiden:

those clones things?...i think thats what everyone decided when Coulson was killed in The Avengers,that it was one of those robot clone things(can't remember what they are called),so i am guessing it leads to that and even Agent Coulson,or everyone of these clone things don't know what they are

I think we figured that it would mean Coulson was still alive somewhere. Which is, of course, entirely possible, given the comic book world, but Whedon usually kills people for story weight, and it just seems like he'll want that death to hold.

Also, Joss never hires ugly people for his shows. Even the awkward geeks are really just unconventionally cute or handsome (or under some makeup).

Also, Joss never hires ugly people for his shows. Even the awkward geeks are really just unconventionally cute or handsome (or under some makeup).

Yeah, so who's the ugliest cast member on a Joss show? I can't really think of anyone, maybe Ron Glass? But he's old so does that count?

But seriously, I re-iterate, this is a TV show based on comic book characters, why is it being singled out for having a good looking cast? I don't see people complaining about Arrow, Grimm, Vampire Diaries, Warehouse 13, etc etc. Or how about Chicago Fire and it's bazillion hunks? NCIS? Yeah, because every NCIS agent looks like Chris O' Donnell lol. It's television! If I wanted to look at mediocre ugly people, I'd just stay at work

Anyway, ratings look strong for the premiere, hopefully they can sustain and keep the show going a few years. I also read they are already looking at another Marvel spinoff show, so good news in general for comic book fans!

But seriously, I re-iterate, this is a TV show based on comic book characters, why is it being singled out for having a good looking cast? I don't see people complaining about Arrow, Grimm, Vampire Diaries, Warehouse 13, etc etc. Or how about Chicago Fire and it's bazillion hunks? NCIS? Yeah, because every NCIS agent looks like Chris O' Donnell lol. It's television! If I wanted to look at mediocre ugly people, I'd just stay at work

I don't watch any of those shows, and from what I can tell none of them is very similar to Agents of SHIELD. You know, the closest show that we already have is Fringe. Both are about an elite group of human agents dealing with supernatural threats and villains in a similar way. Fringe also has a cast of attractive characters (you don't get around that in movies or TV shows for the most part), but in Fringe they don't stick out, and their looks are mostly more of an acquired taste. The average age is higher in Fringe (even if you don't count Ron Glass and John Noble, the outliers in their respective shows). Agents of SHIELD went above and beyond the typical good looks on TV. It looked like a group of high school students turned models, people who use half their days applying makeup in front of the mirror. It's not believable in the slightest.

Fringe was extremely compelling from the very first episode, so I don't see why Agents of SHIELD should need half a season to become compelling.

And hey, let's talk about the other shows Joss Whedon has done. Dollhouse is a special case since the attractiveness of the main characters is a core concept of the story (they are hired out as "dolls" after all, often for sexual reasons). Firefly features a mix of looks, from the plain to the attractive, but none of them (with the exception of Inara) look like they spend their days applying makeup. Angel's cast was mostly plain or even unattractive (hello Charisma Carpenter!), with the occasional monster as well. Buffy had a specific type of good looks. Neither Xander or Willow are people who would stick out as particularly attractive (nor particularly unattractive) if you met them in real life without any previous knowledge of them. Stuff like Willow's sex appeal comes more from her personality than her looks.

Agents of SHIELD stands out in a bad way. It looks fake. It looks plastic. It ruins my ability to accept the situations they come up in. It simply detracts from the show, and apart from the wooden acting was the biggest sore point for me in the pilot.

In Norway I could have said that it felt very American (in the derogative sense of the word) and everyone would have known exactly what I mean, but I don't think that translates very well when talking to actual Americans about the concept. Actually, now that I think about it, me being a foreigner might be part of the problem. We have slightly different expectations over here as our televised entertainment tends to be less "glossy", for lack of a better word.

Sounds like you need to buy a XB1 instead of a PS4, guaranteed to have games uglier and more gritty , just kidding! I know what you are saying in regards to the look of the actors in a series but for me I guess I was expecting it and did not take away from the enjoyment of the show. What did jar me a bit was the car at the end of the episode and the "bus". Seems to me if you have secret tech then why are you flaunting it around in public? Small thing that tickled the brain though.

I'm going to continue watching the show but I've already written off several other new shows such as Mom (terrible Chuck Lorre show yet again) and Micheal J Fox show (seems very cookie cutter of a show). Sleepy Hollow is on the bubble.

You had me up until you said that. I couldn't even continue reading and consider anything you said credible after that point.

She's utterly disgusting, and her body appears to contain more silicone than flesh at this point. I find absolutely no part of her, which includes vague things like personality, attractive. Whatsoever. I frankly can't even understand what anyone could possibly see in her, even on the best of days.

Wesley and Gunn were both attractive, Angel was attractive. Fred and Cordy were both hot whether you cared for them or not (I didn't find Cordy attractive, but can't deny she's a looker, Fred on the other hand...)

So you want a PS4 because things look better, but you don't want SHIELD because things look better. Life works in odd ways

I think your memory might be clouded. I was a huge Fringe fan, but the first season was fairly middling; they didn't find their way story-wise until much later. Go check out the premiere again - it was decent but it was nothing like what the show became later. I remember reading an article early on and they wanted to make the show "accessible" so they were trying to do "monster of the week" stuff like The X-Files. I almost dropped the show except for the fact that I love Joshua Jackson so much, and I was desperate for some sci-fi.

Some shows start off with a great premise and a big bang of special effects or excitement, but often enough they start to falter as time goes on. Joss shows are the opposite. It takes time for him to get into the characters and layer in his bigger story arcs. He's also a comic book writer, and he is a master at "seeding" things that come into play over time. I suspect if you watch the first episode again after seeing the entire first season it will play much better. And don't forget, sometimes it just takes ensemble casts some time to develop chemistry.

You had me up until you said that. I couldn't even continue reading and consider anything you said credible after that point.

She's utterly disgusting, and her body appears to contain more silicone than flesh at this point. I find absolutely no part of her, which includes vague things like personality, attractive. Whatsoever. I frankly can't even understand what anyone could possibly see in her, even on the best of days.

She has a bewitching smile and really plays the bitch character like a natural. Maybe she is a natural, I wouldn't know. I'd put her on the hot side of the hot-or-not scale, although she's nothing special.

We just started watching Buffy last week and are halfway through the first season. Characters are starting to gel but the stories are lame-to-average. I have faith that it will get better.

Haven't watched the SHIELD premier yet. Not a fan of superheroes so that show's got an uphill climb with me. Will eventually get around to it when I don't have anything else to watch.

It is not, at least not in this case. I remember my reaction to the Fringe pilot very well. I got hold of the leaked version that still had placeholder music from LOST, and was so impressed with it that I was tripping for months to see episode 2. I may have watched the episode 3 times before the show started for real.

You had me up until you said that. I couldn't even continue reading and consider anything you said credible after that point.

She's utterly disgusting, and her body appears to contain more silicone than flesh at this point. I find absolutely no part of her, which includes vague things like personality, attractive. Whatsoever. I frankly can't even understand what anyone could possibly see in her, even on the best of days.

She has a bewitching smile and really plays the bitch character like a natural. Maybe she is a natural, I wouldn't know. I'd put her on the hot side of the hot-or-not scale, although she's nothing special.

We just started watching Buffy last week and are halfway through the first season. Characters are starting to gel but the stories are lame-to-average. I have faith that it will get better.

Haven't watched the SHIELD premier yet. Not a fan of superheroes so that show's got an uphill climb with me. Will eventually get around to it when I don't have anything else to watch.

Ironrod if this is your fiirst time I envy you. Enjoy the ride season 2-4 are probably some of the best TV ever. Don't get me wrong 5-7 had some gems like season 6 "once More, with Feelings" Season 1 you can see some of the greatness coming through. Enjoy it

I was a huge Fringe fan, but the first season was fairly middling; they didn't find their way story-wise until much later. Go check out the premiere again - it was decent but it was nothing like what the show became later.

One of the great things about Fringe is that all of that early " monster of the week " stuff that seemed to lack any continuity in season 1 ended up impacting the running mythos later on in the series sometimes in very unexpected ways. It seems in this era of instant gratification, a lot of people want the same in their entertainment. I enjoy the Fringe style of a slow, mysterious build up of both the mythos and the characters involved. Im hoping that AOS, like Fringe is a slow burn and not a flash fire. I dont need to be blown away with the premiere as long as the show, the characters and the mythos have room to grow.

Episode 2 was decent. It looks like the show is working on finding its identity so right now Gregg is doing all the heavy lifting acting wise. I really do wish the part of the hardcore male agent was written better ( or maybe acted better? ) He is the worst part of the show, IMHO. While there is some underlying mystery the plot seems to be pretty much on rails right now. Its not too hard to see where things are going. The show is good enough to watch right now but I think once it really gets going its going to be very good.

It seems having all these actors signed into a general Marvel contract has some benefits.

Also love the mention of Thor's hammer.

That said, I agree with rshetts, although Skye is also a good actor and has fallen into her role more naturally.

Fitz and Simmons, I think, are too involved keeping to their character to branch out. Those high strung characters are hard to crack open naturally, for both writers and actors. They'll need their own episodes to really get some conflict and turmoil going on.

Soldier boy definitely needs more to his character, otherwise he's just a cardboard box.

I liked Episode 1, but 2 was a letdown. Like all Whedon shows this one will take time to develop. I agree on the Male agent, he just comes off as being very lame. He is supposed to be this ultimate agent type of guy (I'm thinking James Bond/Jason Bourne), but then the 50 year old ex-field agent woman shows him up every chance she gets.

I also have a hard time understanding anything the two scientists say, not just because it's a running joke that it's Trekkie talk, mostly because they talk too damn fast and over top of each other.

Still this show will be really good once it finds its footing.

Logged

" And they are a strong and frightening force, impervious to, and immunized against, the feeble lance of mere reason." Isaac Asimov

I'm just not buying into the 'misfits of SHIELD' thing they are going for. Its only 2 episodes but I don't care or believe in the slightest in any of a cast except Coulson. I get tired of shows that have to make almost the whole cast look like they were picked out of a modeling agency brochure.

Episode 2 was decent. It looks like the show is working on finding its identity so right now Gregg is doing all the heavy lifting acting wise. I really do wish the part of the hardcore male agent was written better ( or maybe acted better? ) He is the worst part of the show, IMHO. While there is some underlying mystery the plot seems to be pretty much on rails right now. Its not too hard to see where things are going. The show is good enough to watch right now but I think once it really gets going its going to be very good.

I agree for the most part - except I really don't see where things are going so I'm curious to know what you think about that.

I thought it was interesting how hard they tried to justify the team choices in this episode - its almost like they knew what people were going to complain about (the team seeming too young and green). Cast-wise I'd say the main hunk is definitely a weak point, but I'm not too worried. It's only two episodes in and were clearly meant to get you familiar with the ensemble. I almost felt like they should have been blended into a single 2 hour premiere. I don't think it's his acting so much as the writing seeming unsure how to handle him.

Individual characters getting more in-depth storylines can come as the series evolves. I still remember how much I hated Cordelia in season 1 of Buffy to how much I loved her by the end of her run in Angel. Xander and Willow gained tons of dimension compared to how they appeared in the premiere episodes. Darla was also a great example as well at how far a character can be evolved given time and proper handling. It seems like some people are expecting to fall in love with all the cast members from day one, or have all of them have great backstories and deep storylines.

And this is neither here nor there, but that Fitz guy is freaking adorable. I can't understand half the things he says but his accent is so cute. I suspect straight guys might feel the same about the girl.